Finnish Government to Open Seasonal Work Visa Applications for Belarusian Citizens

The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has decided to open a Visa Application Centre in Minsk for all Belarusian citizens wishing to apply for seasonal work in Finland.

The appointments should be booked in advance, and the visa application form must be submitted in person by visiting the Visa Application Centre, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.

The applications will be received during three days of the week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, from 9 am to 4 pm.

Commenting on the new decision, the Ministry recalled the fact that Finland is represented by Estonia in Minsk regarding the Schengen visa application matters. Therefore, all interested in submitting a visa application, other than for seasonal work, should follow the Embassy’s guidelines in Estonia.

As per visa application procedures for seasonal work in Finland, the Finnish Immigration Service has published the conditions for people wanting to apply after the country has kept its borders shut for such workers for more than a year now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Immigration Service explained in a press release that seasonal work could only be done during specific seasons and cannot last longer than nine months.

“The types of seasonal work to which the Seasonal Workers Act is applied include agricultural and garden work, forestry and work in the tourism sector,” the Immigration Service’s press release reads.

For the job to be considered seasonal, it shall be supported by an employment contract between the seasonal worker and the Finnish employer.

The category of people that do not need a seasonal work permit includes:

• Persons going to Finland to pick forest berries whose work will not last longer than three months.
• Citizens of a European Union country or citizens of Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Citizens of these countries are allowed to work without a residence permit. However, they must apply for the right of residence if they wish to stay in the country for longer than three months.

On the other hand, persons who work as freelancers, and cannot provide an employment contract from a company based in Finland, are not eligible to apply for a seasonal work permit.

The Immigration Service pointed out that the seasonal work duration is directly related to the permit that an individual needs to apply for. All persons entering Finland to work for less than three months must obtain a visa by applying at the Finnish Embassy, Consulate, or Visa Application Centre in their home country, representing Finland in terms of visa issuance.

Moreover, persons coming from a country whose citizens are not required to possess a visa should apply for a seasonal work certificate instead.

The persons entering the country to work for three to six months should apply for a seasonal work permit at the Finnish Immigration Service.

Similarly, persons entering Finland to work for six to nine months should apply for a seasonal work permit, which firstly gets partially issued by the Employment and Economic Development Office and then gets processed by the Finnish Immigration system.

All seasonal workers must apply to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) to be able to use municipal healthcare in Finland.

Previously, the Finnish authorities decided to increase the prices for certain immigration services, including the processing of citizenship, residency permit, and work applications.